Pulitzer Prize Winning Author To Speak at UMass Lowell

10/01/2024

Pulitzer Prize winning writer Elizabeth Strout, whose stories conjure richly imagined characters anchored by a strong sense of place, will visit UMass Lowell as part of the university’s Writers on Campus Series.

For “A Conversation with Elizabeth Strout,” UMass Lowell English Professor Andre Dubus III will sit down with the author as she discusses her creative process, answers questions from students and reads from her work, which includes the just published “Tell Me Everything.” Chosen by Oprah Winfrey as a selection in the media mogul’s book club, the novel unites a handful of characters from Strout’s previous stories for a new tale. 

“I am very much looking forward to reading to and speaking with readers at UMass Lowell. I am especially excited to meet students! They always give me hope. And to be in the presence of Andre Dubus, such an amazing writer and wonderful teacher, is always a special thrill for me,” Strout said. 

Free and open to the community, the event will be held at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 30, in the Comley-Lane Theatre inside Mahoney Hall at 870 Broadway St., Lowell, on UMass Lowell’s South Campus. Free parking will be available in the Wilder Faculty Lot a short distance from the venue. Members of the public interested in attending are required to register at www.uml.edu/strout, as seating is limited. A selection of Strout’s books will be available for purchase at the close of the event.

“We are thrilled that world-class, award-winning novelist Elizabeth Strout will visit UMass Lowell, and thankful to Professor Dubus for inviting her as our Writers on Campus distinguished guest. It’s exciting that students in the English Department and campus community will have this opportunity to engage in a discussion with Ms. Strout,” said UMass Lowell English Professor Maureen Stanton, an award-winning author and writing teacher who focuses on creative nonfiction and literary journalism.

Strout was awarded the Pulitzer for distinguished fiction in 2009 for “Olive Kitteridge,” a collection of interconnected stories about the title character, a retired schoolteacher reckoning with her family and changing way of life. The book was later adapted into an HBO miniseries that took home six Emmy Awards.

Along with “Olive Kitteridge,” Strout is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of “Lucy by the Sea;” “Oh William!,” which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize; “Olive, Again;” “Anything Is Possible,” winner of the Story Prize; “My Name Is Lucy Barton;” “The Burgess Boys;” “Abide with Me;” and “Amy and Isabelle,” winner of the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize.

Strout lives in Maine, where the rugged environment is the inspiration for the fictional settings in several of her works. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Bates College and a law degree from Syracuse College of Law. 

“Produced by UMass Lowell’s award-winning creative writing faculty, we’re proud to host the Writers on Campus Series to bring some of the most accomplished and acclaimed writers to the university,” said Dean Sue Kim, who leads the College of Fine Arts Humanities and Social Sciences. “These events allow our students to elevate their own work by learning from some of the best writers in the country, while also giving the community the chance to engage with these fabulous writers.”

The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s English Department. Members of the public who would like more information should contact writersoncampus@uml.edu.

Media contacts: Emily Gowdey-Backus, director of media relations and Nancy Cicco, assistant director of media relations